I Should Be So LuckyNovember 15, 2008 1 out of 1 found this review helpful
I read this book during a bout of depression. It is proverbial that Conspicuous Displays of Contentment push the depressed into even deeper despair more effectively than anything else. Yet I didn't find this book infuriating; it didn't drive me to suicide. No, I enjoyed it immensely and finished it rapidly.
The ramifications of the subject matter are endless. What ancient and modern Western philosophers thought about happiness; what they thought in Asia. The social conditions conducive to happiness, the brain-states that coincide with it. Then what the author's own Tibetan Buddhist tradition has to say about happiness and mental afflictions.
You only have to glance at the design of this book to know you're not going to get any great depth. But that's fine. Always room for compact and lucid accounts of Big Subjects. If you want reams of detail about neurochemistry or Buddhist meditation practices, you can find that elsewhere.
I have only two complaints. One is that, as somebody who has suffered from life-long severe depression, I didn't find anything here that would help me to be happy. Everything here I have seen before, and it doesn't work. It may work if you're already happy, but then, well, you don't need it, do you?
I suspect the reason for this lies in my second complaint. The author tells of his famous father, of his upbringing in elite French cultural and intellectual circles, hobnobbing with luminaries and jetsetters. When he finds all of this... somehow lacking, he toddles off to a sheltered enclave of Ancient Eastern Wisdom, where he hobnobs with the Dalai Lama and endless Rinpoches... (To be honest, I'm not exactly sure how you "hobnob".)
My point is: you Would be happy, wouldn't you? A book about Happiness would be so much more convincing if the author were the child of a Haitian beggar, born with a speech impediment, and... we don't want to get into sick humour territory, but you get my drift. If someone like That managed to be happy, Then I would be impressed.
AmazingSeptember 29, 2008 This book by Mattieu Ricard really breaks down happiness. He differentiates between pleasure and happiness and how happiness is something that must be cultivated and practiced. Mattieu Ricard also gives a handful of in depth meditation exercises at the end of a few chapters. And he points out that you don't have to be a Buddhist monk to achieve enlightenment, but everyone can reach a better plateau of happiness.
How to be Happy :)July 12, 2008 1 out of 1 found this review helpful
I've got to admit that the writing is so deep that sometimes I have to only read a couple of pages and then take a break. But don't let that deter you. Within 1 or 2 chapters I was feeling happier than I think I ever have. And this from a mildly chronically depressed person.
It does rely heavily on Buddhism but it IS a Buddhist writing it )). For the ultra religious, don't worry. He does not shove his beliefs down your throat. It is just his examples are from his life so that are flavored that way.
I would recommend this book to anyone interested i attaining happiness.
Happiness by Matthieu RicardMay 13, 2008 Happiness: A Guide to Developing Life's Most Important Skill
This is the best book I have ever read on the subject of happiness. A real treasure. Happiness is not a mystery but a possible goal for anyone who seriously wants to become a happier and better person. If you love science, literature and culture, Matthieu Ricard is the right guru for you. A must read for everyone who loved his book "The Monk and the Philosopher". A book you won't ever part with for you'll want to read in it again and again.
Inge Hohndorf
Change yourself for the betterApril 6, 2008 This book has been written by the world's happiest person. Neuroscientists have conducted various tests on thousands of people including the author and have come to the conclusion based on scientific proof. It is therefore necessary to keep that piece of information at the back of your mind when you read the book.
Every word in the book comes out loud and clear as having been created by a truly happy and contented person.
Simply by reading the book and following some of the exercises that the author suggests, you can transform yourself from a tense and neurotic being into a joyful, stress free person.
Though the author is a Buddhist monk, this book is not about Buddhism nor does it attempt to convert one to that religion. This is a practical, down to earth method to learn to be happy.
